The Heroine: Birth
by Louiii
Summary: Revised version of 'The Heroine! Everyone knows the legend of Link the Hero, how he defeats Evil with the power of courage and a magic blade. This time the legend is back, but what happens when the Hero...is in fact a Heroine?
1. A Prologue

**A/N: Hello everyone! First of all, I owe you a HUGE thanks for reading and reviewing my stories in the Heroine-series (and all of my stories for that matter). I was reading through "The Heroine" and realized there was move for a lot of improvement. Of course I will not delete or change the original one, but I'll post this as well and please tell me what you think! Enjoy, and thanks again!**

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_A Prologue _

"Do you know the history of the Goddesses, Sheik?"

"…No, grandfather."

"No? What _have _they been teaching you at the Chapel, I wonder?"

There was no reply.

"Well," the boy's grandfather heaved a sigh, "It's time someone told you."

The room was rather dimly lit, despite the sun beating down hard outside. It was hardly noon, and already the desert-like ground was almost warm enough to fry an egg upon. Harsh winds frequently passed through the rocky canyon, blowing up dusts of red sand as they passed. Perched by a mountain wall were several huts and cabins, forming a village, looking frail and dusty in the early sun. Higher up on the mountain was a large temple built with the same red stone that was the mountain.

The conversation between the boy and his grandfather however took place in one of the small cabins. The walls were rather fragile, and the windows were covered by dark sheets to shut out the heat of the sun. The boy's grandfather was sitting in a frail chair made out of dark wood, looking like it would cave any moment – though the old man was hardly any weight at all. He was skinny and on the lanky side, with a long white beard and almost equally long white hair, tied into a simple plait. His eyes, though a bit sunken, were a bright and alert color of red. He wasn't wearing a shirt on his darkly tanned body, but he had big bone-white pants, secured to his waist by a crimson red scarf.

In front of him, sitting crossed-legged on the dark red rug was his grandson, Sheik. His boyish face was deeply tanned, and already it was clearly visible that he was going to grow into a handsome young man. The blond hair was falling in an unruly state over his deep red-colored eyes that were fastened on his grandfather. His clothes were ragged and slightly too big for his small body.

"Really Shin," a woman's voice suddenly said. "Don't you think five years is a little too young to fully comprehend the legend? They will teach it to him soon enough up in the Chapel."

Shin darted his vigilant gaze away from Sheik and towards the woman standing in the corner. She, too, had the deep red eyes – a trait everyone in her race shared – and she had pale blond hair, almost whitish. She was tall and slim though she looked a bit tired.

"Nonsense," Shin scoffed in his raspy voice, "your son is going to hear this legend until he's sick of it, and I want the credit of being the one telling him the tale for the first time."

Sheik's mother shrugged, rolling her eyes slightly towards Sheik. "You see now the downside by having a priest as a grandfather? It's all legends, never the present."

Shin shot her a look, and she finally fell silent.

"Now my boy, since you haven't heard the legend about our Goddesses, I take it you haven't heard about Hyrule either."

"Hyrule?"

Shin smiled. "That's what I thought." Then he cleared his throat and fell silent for a moment, going through the story in his mind once before opening his mouth to speak.

"Long ago, before anything existed, there were three Goddesses. Din, the Goddess of power, Nayru, the Goddess of wisdom, and Faroe, the Goddess of courage. Together they created a prosperous and peaceful land…Hyrule. The Goddesses then ascended into the heavens, but not before leaving behind a fragment of their power. This power was designed to withhold the peace and prosperity in Hyrule." Shin's eyes intensified. "The Triforce!"

Sheik's face screwed up in an expression of confusion. Clearly he had never heard about this, to which Shin reacted with a chuckle.

"The Triforce is kept safe in the Sacred Realm, where it is guarded by the Sages. And we - the Sheikah – live very close to the Sacred Realm _and _the Sages, my boy."

"So we live in Hyrule?" Sheik asked when Shin fell silent, the boy's face contorted in a frown.

A smile entered Shin's face. "No, my boy. But it is not far from here. One day, I shall take you there."

"Oh no, you won't," the boy's mother suddenly said in an alarmed voice. "My boy will not go near that country."

Shin rolled his eyes at Sheik. "Fine then, I shall not take him there."

"Oh, but Grandfather, you _must _take me there!" the boy cried eagerly, jumping up and down from the rug. He was now far too interested in this country.

Shin smiled in victory and Sheik's mother heaved a defeated sigh. "You two…" She shook her head. "I give up."

She drifted off towards the door, but before she left she cast a warning glance at Shin. "Don't tell him anything I wouldn't."

"That would be nothing, then," Shin replied, but with a joyful sparkle in his eyes. The woman scoffed as she disappeared into the scorching air outside.

Almost immediately a harsh wind carrying large amounts of the red sand swept into the house. Shin was quick on his feet, moving to close the door, coughing as the sand entered his lungs.

"Honestly," he grunted, and finally managed to shut the door, "this land." He shook his head disapprovingly and coughed again. "I do not blame your father for leaving it for Hyrule."

By his words Sheik immediately looked up, like a dog perking his ears to a sound. "My father?"

"Aye, your father. He was only a lad" - Shin paused a moment to sit down the chair again – "when he left for Hyrule. See, Sheik, in runs in our family to be protectors and advisors of the Royal Family of Hyrule."

Sheik's eyes went wide with wondrous exhilaration. Shin cracked a smile. "Yes, the Royal Family. When I was young, I used to carry the title Royal Advisor. I wouldn't be surprised if you'd follow your father's footsteps too." Suddenly the smile Shin carried turned into sadness and his eyes became unfocused.

"I'm sorry, grandfather. I didn't mean to…" a wave of guilt swept over Sheik at seeing his grandfather's sadness.

"Never apologize for that, Sheik," Shin suddenly said, and Sheik closed his mouth. "You have a right to know."

Sheik's gaze dropped to the floor. "Mother never talks about him…"

"And I don't blame her. And I suspect she will kill me if I tell you this. But like I said, it is your right to know."

A faint sigh escaped Shin's lips, and it pained him to tell his grandchild the story of his father's death. But nonetheless, he was going to tell it.

"See Sheik, while your mother was carrying you, there was a terrible war in Hyrule. We Sheikah took refuge in these lands, but our men participated in the war, bound to Hyrule as we were. Especially your father, who was the protector of the Royal Family. Needless to say," Shin said with a somber expression, "he didn't return."

A silence filled the room where nothing was heard, save for the harsh winds fighting against the walls of the cabin.

"Is that why mother doesn't want me to go to Hyrule?" Sheik then asked in a small voice.

Shin looked up. "I suspect that is one reason, yes."

Sheik frowned. "There is more than one?"

Shin responded by chuckling at his grandchild's belief that everything is black and white. "This war… you see, it was a war between the Hylians and another force. A force that wanted to take control of the Triforce, to have this power to themselves. You do remember about the Triforce?" Sheik nodded eagerly. "This force was lead by the Evil King, a man fueled with hatred and a desire for power. His name" – Shin paused dramatically – "is Ganondorf."

A compact silence filled this statement. Then Shin drew a breath and continued the tale.

"The Hylians managed to defeat Ganondorf's forces and they were chased away and Ganondorf was captured. But good as the Hylian King was, he refused to execute him and instead sent him into exile. He didn't live to see his mistake, though. The King passed away in illness, and then Ganondorf saw fit to return to Hyrule. As it is now, Hyrule is ruled by the Royal Council until the King's daughter is old enough to rule the kingdom."

"…and what about Ganongork?" Sheik asked breathlessly.

"Ganondorf," Shin gently corrected, but then his expression turned grim again. "Well, he has a fortress somewhere in Hyrule, where he is biding his time. And when he is ready…" Shin's voice trailed away for a moment, "…he will strike."

Sheik suddenly felt very afraid by his grandfather's words.

"Don't fear," Shin smiled reassuringly, interpreting his feelings correctly. "There is someone who can stop him. You see, a long time ago, there was an evil threatening the Triforce, similar to Ganondorf's threat. But then a Hero rose up and defeated him with a magic blade."

"A Hero?" Sheik asked in wonder.

Shin smiled to himself and then nodded. "Aye. The legend goes that the Hero's spirit will be reborn, whenever the golden land of Hyrule is threatened by an evil."

As Shin spoke of this he stood up from the chair and went to the window, where he pulled aside the sheet enough to look out at the wasteland. "Ever since the rise of Ganondorf…" Shin started, speaking more to himself now than to Sheik, "I have waited. I have prayed to the Goddesses and waited for the Hero's spirit to be reborn."

Then he turned back to Sheik again, with a slight smile. "Because when he is… he shall save us all."

He heaved a sigh and looked at the ground. "I won't lie to you, Sheik. It is not a peaceful world you have been born into. I fear…" he paused, falling silent for a moment. "…I fear for the outcome of it all."

A silence followed his statement, where Sheik stood up. He wanted to comfort his grandfather, but how could he? So much was wrong with the world… it seemed like there was nothing that could be done. It was too late.

Suddenly the door to the cabin burst open, startling both grandfather and grandchild. They turned to the doorway to see Sheik's mother standing there out of breath.

"Sheeka?" Shin asked in alarm, "What ever is the matter?"

"The Sages…" Sheik's mother panted, "the priests in the Temple are asking for you. They say the Sages have called you and it's very important!" Sheeka stole a glance at Sheik, before adding to Shin, "It's about the Hero."

To her words Shin reacted by cracking a smile, and then cried out in pure joy. "Finally!" he laughed, grabbing Sheik's hands and dancing around. "He is here! He's been reborn!"

Then he was reminded that Sheeka still stood in the doorway, and he straightened up.

"It is time, Sheik," he then said seriously.

"For what?"

"…To speak to the Sages. Follow me."

"Follow you where?"

Shin smiled. "To the Chamber of the Sages."

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**A/N: So that was the prologue everyone! If you think it's worth continuing on I'll do so! The first chapter is done so just say the magic word and I'll post it Thanks for stopping by! **


	2. A Legend Returns

**The Legend of Zelda**

_- The Heroine -_

_**Chapter**__** 1**_

_A Legend Returns_

_--- _

_Fifteen years later._

Mist spilled out between the trees in the thick forest. Higher up by crowns of the trees the mist was replaced by an impenetrable darkness. There was no moon and the dark night covered the forest, like the lid covering a box.

A figure emerged from the mist. It was a man, tall and athletic with handsome features. His blond hair fell in an unruly state over his head and the tousled bangs fell into the man's blood red eyes. His face was of a deep tanned color, after a life in the hard sun. Years of fighting and hard training had earned him the muscles on his slender body, over which a deep red colored linen shirt fitted loosely. On his chest he had the insignia of the Royal Family of Hyrule.

His name was Sheik.

Suddenly he came to a halt. It was too late to continue his journey and he placed the light sack he carried on the wet grass. Heaving a tired sigh he then leaned to a tree and slowly slid down to the ground.

A long time had passed now since he had last been in his homelands. Both his grandfather and his mother had passed away when he was still a child. Leaving then for Hyrule had seemed like the natural choice. The Sheikah gave off another sigh, this time a little saddened. He hadn't thought about his old home for a long time.

But this day… This day it was fifteen years to the day of the Hero's birth.

He remembered it so well; his grandfather's joy and his first encounter with the Sages. To tell the truth, Sheik had found them a little boring at first, but he soon realized that was the nature of these over-worldly beings. And for a time it had all gone along at peace. Ganondorf, a threat growing more menacing with each day passing, had not yet made his move, and the Hylian King's daughter had become old enough to rule the kingdom. She was a just ruler and Hyrule was at peace. As the Princess' adviser Sheik knew her well and knew that she was powerful enough to protect Hyrule until the Hero was old enough to defeat Ganondorf.

But now everything had changed.

Despite the Sages' efforts of keeping it a secret, Ganondorf found out about the Hero's birth. Like everyone else, he knew about the legend and therefore he saw to send out his men with one mission; to kill the Hero. It was even rumored that the Evil King himself was out hunting after the Hero.

Therefore, not long ago, the Sages had called for Sheik again.

- _Two months earlier -_

"My dear friend, Sheik," Caled, a priest and the sage of light, started, "I trust you are aware of the situation."

Sheik nodded, his blond bangs falling into his eyes as he did. "Ganondorf is searching for the Hero."

Caled nodded, casting a glance at the other Sages assembled on the platform where he was speaking to Sheik. The Chamber of Sages was a realm within the Sacred Realm itself. It was a black void, save for a large stone platform floating in the middle of the air. It was here the Sages resided, as guardians of the Triforce.

"I am afraid it is worse than so," Caled stated.

Sheik looked up, wordlessly urging the priest to carry on.

"The Evil King will not rest until he has killed the Hero. And that is now only a matter of time." Caled fell silent, and the Sheikah before him looked at him, slightly confused.

"I don't understand… the Hero would rise and with the blade that will banish evil he shall defeat the Evil King," Sheik argued - knowing the legend in and out, much as his grandfather had predicted many years ago.

"Yes, that is how the legend goes," Caled agreed somberly. "But I am afraid our Hero has yet no idea of his destiny."

A silence followed this statement, and Sheik looked at the priest, eyes wide in alarm. "Then he will die at the hands of Ganondorf…without having any idea why," he slowly said tonelessly.

Caled nodded. "That is why _you, _Sheik, must find him. Search every corner of Hyrule and do not rest until you find him and inform him of his destiny."

The Sheikah couldn't help to feel slightly helpless at the task that was handed to him. After all, Hyrule was enormous.

"You shall know the Hero by the name Link and his age is fifteen. That is all we know, I'm afraid," Caled added, smiling softly as if to reassure the Sheikah.

But suddenly one of the other Sages- who had all been silent during the conversation – looked up. It was the Forest Sage – the one who had detected the Hero's birth. She was the one with the strongest connection to the Hero's spirit, due to the strong friendship she had once shared with the former Hero. "Sheik," she said softly, and the man turned around. "Have an open mind in your search. Our Hero," she began, a mysterious smile forming on her lips, "is not the one you might expect it to be…"

_- Present day -_

The sun, though blocked out by thick rain clouds, had soon made its daily journey over the sky. Sheik was still out on his search, and had soon come to the very end of the forest. So far his search seemed fruitless. He had been all over Hyrule: asked the Zoras by the western sea, combed every Hylian village and even sought out the hostile Gerudo women in the south eastern part of the kingdom. No one had even as much as heard of the name Link.

Therefore, Sheik's last hope was the south… and the forest.

On this rainy day he had finally reached the very eastern end of the forest, close to Hyrule's border. How many days had now passed since he had spoken to the Sages? It felt like Sheik had traveled for an eternity.

But suddenly he was brutally brought back from his thoughts, as he suddenly found himself face to face with a bird sitting on a branch before him. It was a falcon, which was a rare creature to see so up-close. Stranger still was its appearance. His feathers were dark brown with the exception of its stomach that was a pure white. And his eyes were a piercing blue shade, reminding Sheik of ice.

A beat passed were the two looked at each other, nothing heard but the rain heaving down around them. But then the falcon flapped his wings and took off in the direction Sheik was heading. With a faint shriek he disappeared in the mist, somehow gesturing for the Sheikah to follow him.

Frowning, the Sheikah followed, and finally the forest opened up to reveal a village. Soaked to the bone, Sheik entered through the village gates, noticing a worn out sign to his right as he did.

_Creel Village,_

_- The village of the Forest and its mysteries -_

The rain reduced to a light drizzle as his thin boots softly treaded over the ground. It was a small and battered village - enclosed by two high summits and a thick wall of forest – and Sheik came to a halt to fully look upon it. There were a few cabins – that had all seen better days – and one rather large windmill, turning slowly in the soft wind. Other than that, there was nothing.

Sheik lowered his eyes and continued his careful walk into the village. It was strange; not a soul could be seen in the village. Not one villager was outside; everyone was hiding in their small huts. Again, Sheik stopped, furrowing his brow in confusion. The rain could not possibly be enough to scare the villagers enough to hide inside.

He reached out with his right hand, turning his palm upwards and letting the soft drops of rain pelt upon his skin. The water seemed to tell him something; it had a sense of sorrow to it. He let his hand drop to his side again as he looked up. Something terrible had happened in this village.

"…we are doomed…"

Sheik turned his head towards the voice so quickly that his blond hair slapped his forehead in a wet strike. An old man was sitting, leaning towards a tree with his head in his lap, talking to himself. He didn't appear to be sane, but he was the only one in the village. Therefore Sheik made his way over.

"This great disaster has torn apart our… Oh?"

The old man suddenly found himself looking at a hand stretching out to him. As he looked up he saw a young man standing in front him. He was clearly from the southern borders of the world, as his bare face was tanned, with deep red eyes and sun-bleached hair.

"W-who are you?" the old man asked, shivering from the rain that had managed to chill him into the bones.

"Do not worry," Sheik said, his hand still reached out to the man as an offer to help him to his feet, "I am not your enemy."

"But you are a stranger," the old man retorted in a sudden suspicious voice and still observed the hand as if snakes would crawl out from Sheik's sleeve any second, "And we have learned not to welcome them anymore. Now what is your business?" he snapped.

By the man's tone Sheik pulled back his hand.

"I am simply here to look for someone," Sheik said, "but this village had caught my curiosity. What disaster has troubled you?"

The old man sighed, and fell silent for such a long time that Sheik began to wonder if he had fallen asleep. Then he spoke, with a voice filled with pain.

"Not too long ago… a cruel man came to our village. He destroyed our buildings and hurt many villagers," he said and looked up, revealing a face full of scars. Then he seemed to regard Sheik for a moment, taking in his appearance. "That man, too, came in search for someone, so perhaps you understand my suspicion," he added, his tone neither friendly nor hostile.

Sheik nodded. "Your village is not the only one that has met this fate." Then he looked at the village, seeing that the village was indeed damaged. This was the work of Ganondorf; he had seen it too many times.

"You do not seem to carry the evil that man brought with him," the old man then began, surveying Sheik with old wise eyes. "Now who is it you are looking for?"

Sheik couldn't help letting a sigh escape his lips as he repeated the phrase for what seemed like the thousandth time.

"I am looking for someone, a young boy by the name Link."

The man froze, and the only sound that could be heard was the rain dripping against the leaves of the tree. After a long silent minute, the man lifted his head and his eyes were filled with a great grief.

"I know you would."

Sheik's heart instantly sped up. "You know someone by that name?"

But the man said nothing more, it seemed like it was too painful to speak of, and Sheik felt a little alarmed. What did this mean?

But after what seemed like an age, the man lifted his arm and pointed in the direction of the forest behind the village.

He nodded towards the man. "Thank you," he said softly and then started walking in the course of the man's direction.

The village was covered in silence as he passed through it, but he noticed the faces of the villagers peering at him through the windows of their cabins. They were afraid; Sheik could see it in their eyes. He wasn't surprised though. Wherever Ganondorf had been he left behind the unmistakable trail of fear.

How he wished these frightful times would be over soon. But if he did not find Link before Ganondorf did… then all hope would be lost. The old man's words however had filled Sheik with a sense of hope. He had finally come somewhere in his quest. But if Ganondorf had already been in this village…

Before Sheik could finish his thoughts he had reached the woods again and once again he found himself staring into the blue eyes of the strange falcon. He couldn't help to frown; the bird was looking at him like he recognized him too. Then he gave off a shriek and soared towards the forest, disappearing into the thick mist lingering between the trees. Once again it left Sheik with the feeling that it wanted to be followed.

Realizing that he had nothing to lose, Sheik made up his mind and gently pulled a branch aside as he treaded into the forest. Almost immediately he was swallowed by the thick fog, unable to see even a foot ahead. The raining had now completely ceased, but the mist was damp enough to soak Sheik again.

He realized the fog was making him lose his sense of direction, and just as he was about to decide that he was lost he heard a sound.

The forest had been strangely silent up until now, which was why he distinguished the sound so easily. It was the shriek from a bird, probably a falcon. The Sheikah wouldn't be surprised if it wasn't the very same blue-eyed creature he had been running into lately, which was why he decided to follow the sound.

He passed several trees, taking a right and continuing forward when he heard the shriek again and made a left, forward again, then further to the left as the bird shrieked yet again. He noticed that the fog was growing fainter, giving way for the light, and then…

"Amon, will you be quiet already? You're making enough racket to lead a legion of men to us."

Sheik stopped by a tree as the voice reached his ears. It was a woman's voice, clear and soft, no doubt speaking to the animal. Frowning slightly, Sheik carefully peeked his head around the trunk and was awed by the sight that met him.

It was a young woman, and Sheik's quick estimation evaluated her to be in her teens. From her seat upon a fallen tree trunk Sheik could make out that she was an athletic figure, with long honey-blond hair falling in straight locks down her back. She appeared to be dressed solely in green, with the exception of her knee-length thin brown boots. Other than that she was wearing a thin yet fitted moss-green vest and a skirt in a slightly darker shade of green, reaching down to somewhere above her knees to reveal slender tanned legs.

It was hard to make out the girl's face - mostly because she was sitting to far away and in profile – but the fog dimmed Sheik's sigh as well. In fact, the whole scene looked dreamlike. The crowns of the trees gave away enough for the sun's rays to shine into the glade, hitting the scalp of the girl which served to highlight the pale blond tresses of her hair. In fact – with the fog breaking the light and wood faeries hovering here and there – the woman look like a creature of the forest itself.

Sheik now noticed that the falcon was here, perched upon a branch in eye-level with the girl, his strange blue eyes fastened on her. Apparently he was the one the girl had been addressing. But just as Sheik dared to lean a little further out from the tree he was hiding behind the bird spotted him. He shot his piercing icy gaze towards the Sheikah who immediately flattened himself against the tree again. He wasn't exactly sure why, but he didn't want the girl to spot him just yet. The way she had addressed the falcon made the impression that she didn't exactly want to be found. Besides, why was she hiding in the woods in the first place?

After a moment, however, Sheik's curiosity got the overhand. He had to look at her again – which was strange, considering that the Sheikah never really did anything impulsive. But there was something when he had looked at her and now he realized what: he found her beautiful, and he had only looked upon her for a moment. He just _had_ to look again.

But as he leaned out again he found to his surprise that there was no one sitting on the dead trunk of tree lying in the grass. For a brief moment he actually contemplated whether or not it had actually had been an illusion– the girl of the forest – when he noticed that the falcon was still perched on the branch, icy gaze fastened on him.

Sheik frowned slightly, but then made his was out from his safe spot behind the tree and looked around the glade. It was empty.

But then he snapped his gaze towards the falcon again and noted that he was no longer looked at him. He had his blue-eyed gaze steadily fastened on something behind Sheik. Frowning, he slowly turned around to see what-

_Smack! _

Sheik received a hard kick - which caught him completely by surprise - squarely in his chest, a blow that sent him flying backwards. He landed hard on the ground and tumbled around until he finally came to a stop – unfortunately by colliding harshly with a tree.

_Ouch. _

A quick estimation led him to the conclusion that he was unscathed and was about to get to his feet. But just as he got to his knees, a sharp knife was pointed to his jugular and he quickly reconsidered his decision.

"Who the hell are you?" a fierce voice asked, and Sheik realized it was the woman speaking.

He didn't respond immediately, instead he raised his crimson eyes through his bangs to finally have a clear look at her. A small part of him found it a little amusing to see the girl's angry eyes widen in wonder at his strange eyes, but a much bigger part of him realized that he found her own eyes just as fascinating. They were of the deepest of blue, a fierce gaze filled with so many emotions: anger, suspicion but also of innocence and sorrow. There was a lively fire burning behind her eyes, so intense that the Sheikah was unable to look away. Subconsciously he noted her face – sculptured into perfection it seemed, which a heart-shaped form, high cheekbones and an extremely smooth complexion. Her skin color seemed to be naturally pale, but she was tanned from the summer sun. Her lips were delicately formed - given the color of pale pink – though they were now pursed together in a fierce expression, and Sheik was reminded of the knife pointed to his throat.

"What do you want?" she barked, clearly forgetting that Sheik already had a question to answer.

"I will tell you," Sheik stated in his usual soft tone, "if you remove your knife."

She seemed to consider this for a moment, where Sheik took the opportunity to study her some more. She was sporting two thin yet rather long knives, both with hilts of white ebony, one of them in her left hand - which was the one pointed to Sheik's neck - and the other held just by her head, as if ready to attack any second.

He also noted that she had around both her forearms wrapped long straps of brown leather, winding all the way out to her palms. At first he could not understand why but then he realized that it was an effective way to protect her arms. The leather was thin but strong enough to defend against most cuts. He couldn't help to mentally raise his eyebrows in an impressed manner. Clearly this girl had had her share of fighting.

"Fair enough," she then finally said in a voice that was by no means less fierce, but slowly removed the knife from its dangerous position by Sheik's jugular. He was finally allowed to stand up to his full height, which proved to be a good several inches taller than the girl. She seemed to realize this and quickly backed a few steps. Once he was taller than her she had a better view under his pale bangs and saw his blood-red eyes.

"You're one of the Sheikah," she said in a voice that was suddenly rid of all hostility and was instead filled with wonder.

Sheik couldn't help to frown slightly. Just who was this girl? She was apparently a skilled fighter _and _knew about his race? After all, his race was extremely rare in Hyrule. Few had actually heard of them, much less seen anyone of them. So how was it that a girl from a poor village in the outskirts of Hyrule knew about them? However, he doubted he was going to get those answers anytime soon.

"You are very correct," he said instead, offering a small smile. "My name is Sheik."

But instead of telling her own name in a friendly manner – as Sheik had fruitlessly hoped – she regained her fierce expression and seemed very keen on raising her knife again, but she refrained from it. It was now Sheik realized that she was very scared and… sad. It reminded him of a wounded wolf cub Sheik had once helped. Before it had realized the Sheikah wanted to help him he had done his best to snarl and snap at the man, in hopes of scaring him away.

"You don't have to fear me," he continued, interpreting her feelings correctly, "I will not harm you."

She scoffed, her eyes on the knives he kept in his belt – where he also had a chain, which he often used as a weapon, wielding it much like a whip.

"Then why are you here?" she asked, in a slightly friendlier tone. "Obviously you have come a long way, by the looks of it."

One of Sheik's eyebrows went up, as if to inquire why she would make such an assumption. "You are Sheikah, and they do not live originally in Hyrule, and by your clothing I would say you were from somewhere important, if not the Royal court itself?"

He raised his eyebrows impressed. Clearly this was a very observant and alert girl, but he did not give her anything to confirm her assumptions – though they were true.

"I am here to look from someone," he instead said, leading her away from the subject of…well, himself, and catching her suspicion again.

"Who?" she barked.

"A boy, probably of your age… His name is Link."

He was surprised to see the girl's reaction to his words. Her whole body tensed; her facial expression freezing up before giving way for an expression of extreme sorrow that her fierce suspicion could not suppress. But the Sheikah was even more shocked by the words that followed her reaction.

"…You are too late," she said in a hollow voice. "My brother is dead."

If it was possible, Sheik choked on his own breath.

_What?_

* * *

**A/N: Dun dun DUN! ****What happened to Link? If you review, I'll post the next chapter so you'll find out :)**


	3. Flicker of Hope

**The Legend of Zelda**

_- The Heroine -_

_**Chapter 2**_

_Flicker of Hope_

The Creel Village was a small and poor village, just in the outskirts of Hyrule. It did not care much for the business of the kingdom and the villagers were quite happy by being ignored by the rulers of Hyrule in return.

In fact, it all seemed so distant that most villagers believed the news of Ganondorf to be nothing more than a rumor. The only contact the village had with the outside was by their merchants.

But there were some who knew more of Hyrule than others. Many of the elders in the village often recited an old legend they had been told when they were children. Of course, very few listened to them, mostly young children, with their parents smiling behind them and letting the old men tell them the tale, knowing full well that they would forget it soon enough.

The old legend was said to be about a brave Hero, wielding the power of courage and a blade with the ability to banish evil, which he used to defeat the Evil King that terrorized the kingdom. Of course, this legend was so old than not many took it seriously, save for the elders of the village.

But as more news of the Evil King reached the small town the elders started talking about the old legend again, and more started to believe them. And then one day…

Like it often did in late spring in the Creel Village, it rained. Despite the foul weather the villagers went on with their business, like any other day.

But then there was a cry, turning everyone's attention to the village gates. A man stumbled through them – a man they recognized as a local merchant – panting heavily and sweating.

"The… the Evil King!" he breathed, clutching his chest as he tried to stop blood from oozing from a large wound. But then his eyes rolled back in his head and he sagged to the ground, dead.

The inhabitants of the Creel Village were shocked but there was no time to do anything as a dark cloud suddenly appeared by the village gates. There was the sound of galloping hooves and suddenly he was there – the man the villagers had only thought was a rumor – sitting on his black stallion, glaring at the villagers with his red eyes.

Ganondorf.

The silence was so compact you could prick a hole in it with a needle. A beat passed, where no one moved or said anything. Finally Ganondorf drew a breath.

"It has come to my understanding that there is a boy here… by the name _Link," _the Evil King then said with a slow voice, putting emphasis on the name Link as if he found it disgusting.

No one moved.

"Where," he demanded in a powerful voice, "is he?"

A young man, dressed in green and wielding a sword and shield suddenly distinguished himself from the villagers. He was wearing a grim expression, but said nothing.

Ganondorf's eyes alit with a vile sparkle. "So it is you?"

"What do you want?" the boy asked in a surprisingly strong voice, despite the evil man he was opposing.

Ganondorf cracked a grin.

"To kill you," he leered.

And without further ado, he promptly dismounted his horse, at the same time unsheathing a gigantic sword. He attacked the boy who managed to block the blow by raising his shield. A battle ensued, but one thing was clear: the boy in green stood no chance against the powerful King.

Ganondorf pushed aside the boy's sword hand and now defenseless he didn't have a chance to block the Gerudo man's attack. He sucked in a lungful of air as the Evil King thrust his gigantic sword right through his stomach. There seemed to be one collective gasp from the on-looking villagers as the boy then gurgled – blood oozing out from his mouth – and then his legs gave with as he crumbled to the ground.

Ganondorf watched him for almost a minute. Then he raised his dark eyes to the villagers, his eyes more wicked than anything they had ever seen. And with that, the King mounted his horse again and left.

The villagers grieved for the bravest boy in their town was now dead. The boy known under the name Link.

Sheik bowed his head in silence for a long moment. Link's sister had just finished telling him of her brother's death. He could tell she was a strong soul since she had not shed one tear when she had begun telling the tale, though the tone of her voice made Sheik feel like his heart was about to break.

He watched the girl's expression and he saw that she was using all her efforts not to show her grief. _Strength. _

Another streak Sheik saw in her personality, to not cry when her own brother had been murdered in cold blood-

A sudden realization washed over him like a cold shower and fear gripped his heart. He had failed. It was lost.

Link, the Hero, was… dead.

Sheik wrenched his gaze away from the girl and fastened it at the fog, staring out into space. Hyrule was doomed.

And yet… his gaze filtered over to the girl again, whose eyes were staring at the forest floor. And yet he felt sadder for the girl in front of him. She had lost her brother and she was only…only…

"…How old are you?"

She replied without as much as glancing up.

"Fifteen."

_She's only fifteen, and – Wait. Fifteen? _

"How old was your brother?"

At his urgent tone the girl slowly raised her gaze again. He saw suspicion glinting in her intense blue eyes.

"…seventeen. Why?"

Several emotions washed over Sheik, first confusion and hope. _Seventeen is too old. Maybe he wasn't Link? But then why was that his name…? _

Then he felt guilt grip him as he watched the girl again. Her brother was dead, and Sheik was filled with hope? He instantly felt disgusted with himself.

"I am sorry for your loss."

A compact silence followed, but not an uncomfortable one.

"Thank you," she finally whispered. She looked away from Sheik as a forest fairy settled on her shoulder. The tiny fairy seemed to sense the woman's sadness and shed a few silent tears. The sun had changed and twilight's mysterious glow illuminated the forest. Once again Sheik found himself overwhelmed by the girl's beauty.

"May I ask your name?"

His question instantly caused her to resurface from her grief, if but to renew her mistrust of him.

"You may," she scoffed, "but I would hardly give it to a stranger."

Sheik dared a tiny smile. "But I am no stranger. I have given you my name, now I see it is only fair you give me yours."

He held her gaze and saw the doubt in her blue eyes. Sheik was intrigued by the woman. He seldom encountered people who were this distrustful of him. Afraid that he might lose her if he broke their gaze he locked his eyes to her, but suddenly found that he couldn't look away even if he wanted to. He was entranced.

After a moment of silence, her lips finally curved into the tiniest of smiles. _A beautiful smile. _

"You can call me… Lin."

Sheik gave a tiny bow with his head. "A pleasure to meet you, Lin."

But his good manners only served to wipe the smile away from Lin's lips as she was reminded of that he was a stranger.

"Why have you come to look for my brother…Sheik?" she asked, her suspicion no less and only adding his name as an afterthought.

Sheik met her searching gaze and debated with himself for a moment where silence ruled between them. Should he tell her? There was something – or some things – she was hiding. But then, why should he keep it a secret?

"Because… I am someone who – like many others – believe that your brother-" Sheik studied her intensively for her reaction to words he was about to speak – "was someone who could have saved us all from a darkness. I believe he was a…_the _Hero."

But instead of looking shocked or confused, Lin smiled sadly.

"It's strange," she said with a sad smile, "… my grandfather has told me the legend of the Hero so many times that I was eventually sick of hearing it." Sheik smiled mentally. Apparently they shared some things in common. "But I never… _never, _expected it to be true. And the thought that it was my brother... The elders kept telling us he was the Hero…but…"

"…you didn't believe them," Sheik finished softly.

Her voice was hollow when she replied. "…No."

They fell into silence for a while, Lin plummeting into sadness again and Sheik eyeing her silently. But then his eyes slowly drifted upwards and settled upon Amon, Lin's falcon. Sheik instantly frowned. Something was wrong. The bird was sitting completely still, his head turned to look into the fog, listening intently. He could see and hear something Sheik could not. Something in the falcon's behavior told Sheik something was here, a dark presence and something urged him to…

"What is it?" Lin had noticed his watchful expression.

Then with surprising speed the falcon shrieked and took flight into the air.

"Get down!"

Sheik launched himself forward, grabbing Lin around the waist and pushing her off the fallen tree, and not a second too late as an arrow suddenly pierced the very spot were Lin had been sitting. The two tumbled down a sharp drop into a pile of leaves, where they came to a stop. Lin's fall was softened as she landed on top of Sheik, but as she realized this she immediately got to her feet. But Sheik got up surprisingly fast and grabbed her wrist, pushing her up the wall and out of sight from the hill where they had been sitting only seconds before.

"Hey!" Lin barked, "What the hell are you-"

But Sheik pressed his hand over her mouth, motioning for her to be silent. She shouted muffled against his palm for another moment, until she fell silent. She heard it too. Footsteps.

On the ledge above them two Stalfos warriors came shuffling out of the trees. One of them carried a bow and the other a blunt –but no less deadly – sword. Sheik and Link stood completely still, not daring to breathe, as the Stalfos warriors looked around. One of them made his way over to the fallen tree, examining the arrow in suspicion. Then muttering a few interpretable words to each other they disappeared into the mist again.

A beat passed where the pair dared to exhale again and Sheik removed his palm from Lin's mouth. Her blue eyes were widened in alarm and wordlessly asked him exactly what he was thinking: _What was happening? _

He didn't reply at once, instead he started climbing up the ledge, stopping only to peek his head over the edge to make sure it was safe and then climbed all the way up.

He instantly turned and offered his hand to help the girl up but she ignored it and climbed up, her eyes set on the fog where the Stalfos had disappeared.

"What was that?" she asked, looking genuinely confused.

"That," Sheik replied, kneeling by the fallen tree and examining the arrow, "was Ganondorf's helpers." He wrapped his fingers around it and pulled it out, looking at it with a perplexed expression on his handsome face.

_Ganondorf knows Link is dead. He finished the job himself. Then why did he send two Stalfos to the same place again? And what about Link's age? There's something that's not right…_

"They were after me, weren't they?" Lin's voice broke through his deep speculations.

Sheik, brow furrowing in confusion, turned to look at her. She was standing by a tree, her pale golden hair fluttering slightly in the gentle wind, sadness radiating from her.

"…because I am sister to the great Hero." Sadness turned into bitterness.

Sheik's eyes widened as he took in her words. Could Ganondorf really be that cruel?

Her voice was almost shaking as she continued. "He wants to wipe out his entire family."

"…to make sure the bloodline is severed," Sheik continued in a hollow voice. Suddenly the full meaning of the Hero's death hit Sheik.

He let his head fall and his blond hair fell over his forehead. The feeling of despair he had felt before suddenly washed over him again. Now that the Hero was dead, who was there to stop Ganondorf? He could kill whoever he wanted…

And Lin was next on his list.

But as the Sheikah looked up again, about to suggest that they left, his eyes widened in surprise. The glade was empty. Lin was gone.

Alarmed, Sheik got to his feet again. He understood Lin's feelings, but this was not the time to seek solitude. His heart sped up as he knew she was probably in great danger. The vision of her innocent blue eyes flashed before his mind and something inside him jolted. He had to find her. Only where had she gone?

He looked around, scanning the ground for any sign of her footsteps. Nothing. But as he turned he suddenly found himself staring into the icy eyes of the falcon. He was still here, sitting on a branch, though his mistress had fled. Sheik paused, frowning, blood eyes narrowing. Once again the falcon's behavior struck him as extremely odd.

Then the animal jerked his head to Sheik's right, staring into the darkening mist, seeing something the Sheikah did not. Then he flapped his wings once and took flight in the same direction.

Sheik, knowing by now the falcon was someone to trust, took off after him, hoping the animal would lead him to Lin. It was suddenly extremely important that she did not come to harm.

It seemed like hours later when Lin finally came to a stop. She had been running for dear life and now her powers had finally drained. Panting, she rested her hands on her knees, letting the cool evening air caress her skin. She didn't know when she had stopped crying, but her cheeks seemed to have dried in the wind. It was all too much to take in. Why had the Goddesses chosen her family to torment?

However, something made her came to her senses. The wind around her was not the same compact air of the forest and the light was not shunned out by thick tree crowns.

She had been running aimlessly, so… where was she?

Straightening up to her full height, she took in the sight before her, an almost breathtaking view. She was standing on a hilltop and in front of her was a majestic field, stretching out as far as her eyes could see. It was a lush country, like nothing she had ever seen before. She was a forest child after all and had never been outside the Creel Village.

The clouds did their best to shun out the sun's light and the wind was harsh but still, the land before her had to be one of the most beautiful sights she had ever seen. A lively river was streaming towards the west, where she thought herself spot a vast ocean. Trying to fit the whole view into her vision she turned her gaze again to see a desert to the southwest, the forest where she came from to the south and to the north… her eyes stopped their wandering and fixed on the north where she spotted a city, and above it a huge castle.

_Wait…is this…?_

It was then she realized where she was. Hyrule Field, at the very centre of the kingdom. To the north was the castle, where the ruler of the land lived, Princess Zelda. For a moment she forgot the seriousness of her situation, but merely took in the incredible feeling she was having. Never had she been here, but somehow she felt like she belonged here. Had fate guided her steps here?

A shriek caught her attention and she turned her eyes to the sky, spotting Amon the falcon. He floated down and settled on her shoulder. His arrival seemed to spark Lin with her previous despair. Ganondorf was after her. Lin heaved a sigh, feeling all of a sudden utterly small.

"Why is life so cruel, Amon?"

The animal did not reply to her question, but merely nudged her affectionately with his wing. Lin scoffed. "Yeah, like you would know…"

Then she froze. A sound caught her attention. A snarl, barely audible. Amon took flight, a sign that something was wrong. Swallowing, Lin slowly turned around and locked eyes with a large wolf. But it was not like any wolf she had seen before – friendly ones living in the forest by the Creel Village – but this wolf had dark, almost black fur, and had eyes gleaming in the most unnerving red. This creature was evil.

Her body tensing, she slowly reached for her knives, but the wolf saw her. With a howl he leapt forward, startling Lin but she dodged him by jumping to her left. She crouched down in a defensive stand, holding her knives before her chest, but she couldn't help to tremble slightly as she did. She hadn't faced something evil since…

Again the wolf rushed her, and this time Lin was caught off-guard. His paw pounded hard into her right shoulder and she was sent to the ground in a tumble. Her head made hard impact with the ground and for a moment she saw stars. Swearing in pain Lin lifted her spinning head again just in time to see the wolf leaping at her. She widened her eyes in alarm and rolled out of the way just in time. The wolf missed her by inches but she had enough presence of mind to roll back to it and thrust her knife in its side.

With a triumphant "Ha!" she jumped to her feet again but was too quick to realize her mistakes. First, jumping to her feet sent such a wave of pain through her shoulder that a scream wrenched it's way from her lips and second, after howling in pain the wolf snapped his head to her and looked so furious that the scream in Lin's throat dried up instantly. She swallowed, her previous triumphant grin washing away so quickly that one might think the wind stole it.

With her shoulder throbbing in pain Lin decided to opt for the old run away-technique. With one of her knives still stuck in the wolf she spun around, holding the remaining on tightly in her right palm, about to break into a dash.

However, the wolf saw her move miles away and quickly overtook her, moving in to block her path. Lin scowled, her fear suddenly washed away. "Fine then," she growled between clenched teeth. "Give it your best shot."

And with that she crouched down, holding her knife in front of her as only defense as the wolf prepared, crouching down. Then he thrust the entire weight of his body at her…

Sheik emerged from the trees, his muscular chest rising and falling rapidly, but he barely registered that he was out of breath; he was scanning Hyrule Field for any sign of Lin. He, unlike Lin, had originated from Hyrule so the view was not as distracting to him, thus his mind was spinning with one question: The falcon had led him here, so now what?

A tear of sweat slowly trickled its way down his forehead as he paused; his body was tense, ready to dash in any direction as he listened and watched intently for any sign... Then he heard it, a scream, sounding much like Lin, and he rushed off so fast that the drop of sweat was whisked away from his skin.

He was up the hill in three steps, his red shirt billowing after his movements, but as he reached the summit he came to a halt, crimson eyes widened in horror.

"…_No_…"

His feet seemed to work without him, bringing him up to the large wolf lying over the lifeless limbs of Lin. He was too late…

He fell to his knees beside them, letting his eyes close. He knew he was seconds away from being clawed to death by the large wolf, but so be it. It was lost anyhow; let him meet the same fate as Lin.

"_Um, hello?" _

His red eyes snapped open, and he registered two things at once: the wolf was still lying down, not _breathing_, and a small arm was sticking up from its armpit, signaling for help up.

"… _a little help here, please?"_ a muffled voice called.

Breaking into a relieved smile, Sheik sprang into action, using his strength to roll the wolf off a deflated Lin. She was holding one of her knives straight out in front of her and blood was dripping from it, but she was alright, she was…

"You're hurt," Sheik observed, immediately spotting her shoulder. It was not in its right shape.

"Really?" Lin shot back, and it was hard for Sheik to miss the sarcasm. He couldn't help to frown a little; she seemed completely unfazed by the situation as she struggled to get up. He reached out with his hand to help her up but just like before she ignored it, getting to her feet by herself – rather clumsily – and swearing under her breath due to her shoulder.

Sheik raised an eyebrow, invisible to Lin under his fringe. He had barely known this girl for a day, and already she was the most intriguing person he knew. A few hours ago she had been the epitome of grief but just now she had taken on a fierce animal and was acting like it was the most natural thing in the world. Again he felt that there was more to this girl... but he couldn't figure out _what. _It made him unsure how to act. He had met few women who had this attitude to danger – the women of the Gerudo and the women of his own tribe. But he had never seen a Hylian woman even hold a weapon before. Nonetheless, Lin fascinated him, even if he had no idea how to act. Or, yes he did.

He stepped up to her and grabbed her upper arm. She jerked in surprise and pain. "Ouch! What do you think you're doing?" she barked, and Sheik was instantly reminded of her mistrust to him. Well, he'd cross that bridge later.

"Your shoulder is dislocated. I have to fix it."

Lin shrugged of his arm, backing away, holding up her knife. She knew she shouldn't trust this man. She didn't know much of the Sheikah which made her uncertain how to treat him, and how did she know he was _really _from the Royal court? He never said anything to confirm her speculations, after all.

"No," she replied stubbornly.

She could see his eyebrows go up under his blond unruly fringe. "No?"

"No," she confirmed huffily, about to cross her arms decisively but refrained as another throb of pain shot through her. Sheik couldn't help to smile at her stubbornness.

"If I don't fix it," he began, taking another step towards her – noting that she narrowed her eyes as he did, but did not back away – "it will damage your shoulder permanently. You won't be able to use it."

Lin's featured plummeted into a scowl. She hadn't thought of that. But that didn't matter. "I don't trust you," she began, eyeing his handsome features suspiciously, "you show only a few days after Ganondorf, having exactly the same errand as _he _did? And I don't even know where you're from! You never said you were from the Royal Court or who sent you… or _why? _ I mean, why did you need my brother really? Nothing had forced him to be the Hero, he didn't have to do anything because he didn't – Hey, what are you- _No, _don't – _AARRGGHH!" _

Lin's ramble came to an abrupt end as Sheik swiftly stepped up to her, grabbed her arm, pressed her shoulder down and yanked it back into place. Lin's scream echoed though the valley, even after she'd stopped screaming.

"You're welcome," Sheik dared to say, but regretted it as her beautiful face flushed in anger. She clenched her fists, narrowing her eyes at him, preparing to say something. However, suddenly her features became calm and her eyes lost their fire as they rolled back into her head. Sheik reacted quickly, catching her unconscious form into his arms. It wasn't until now that he noticed her bleeding temple.

He hoisted her up into his arms and then touched her forehead with his fingers, letting his magic flow through him to see if she was in any danger. Thankfully, she wasn't. But she needed some help. And Sheik knew where to find it.

He raised his blood red gaze to his right, where – on top of a hill, protected by the forest – lay the Lon Lon ranch.

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**So, hope you like it! Sorry it's been forever since I've updated, but please enjoy! And when you're done, just press that little button below :P  
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